Young voters seize chance to challenge politicians ahead of historic election
STUDENTS from across Cardiff put politicians through their paces at a lively school hustings event ahead of the upcoming Senedd election.
Year 11 pupils from five high schools gathered at Mary Immaculate High School on Friday (March 20) to quiz candidates from seven political parties on the issues that matter most to young people.
The event comes as 16-year-olds in Wales prepare to vote in a Senedd election for the first time, making the discussion a valuable opportunity for students to engage directly with those seeking election to the Senedd on May 7.
Students from Corpus Christi Catholic High School, St Illtyd’s Catholic High School, The Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School and St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School joined the hosts for the event.
Politicians representing the Conservatives, Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Propel and Reform UK were questioned on a wide range of topics, including social media, bullying, inclusion, transport, health and the rising cost of living.
The debate also featured a lighter side, with students posing quick-fire questions on everything from cats versus dogs to holiday preferences and even whether candidates would be a “faithful” or a “traitor” on the hit TV show The Traitors.
Samantha Dickinson, assistant headteacher at Mary Immaculate High School, said the event had been a great success.
She said: “We were thrilled that the students had the opportunity to ask questions that are really important to them. The wide range of responses they received from the politicians demonstrates how lucky we are in Wales to have such a thriving democracy.
“Politics is so important, and for these students voting for the first time in this election, this event really opened their eyes to the range of views out there. We’re really proud of the head team who organised such a successful event.”
Head girl Inira Hurford said more politicians should visit schools to engage with young people.
“Young people don’t know enough about voting and politics, so meeting politicians personally and hearing what they say helps you understand them more,” she said.
Head boy Stefan Terzic added: “It was a really good event that I think could help shape some of the political views of students who were unsure about politics.”
Deputy head girl Olivia Hoskins said the experience had influenced her thinking.
“Hearing some of the answers from the politicians helped me change my mind about some of the topics that were discussed and who I might vote for,” she said.
To prepare for the event, the school’s head team received training from The Politics Project and took part in practice debates.
Deputy head boy Noel Cox said: “The training was really helpful in preparing us to ask the questions and calm us before the event, so we knew what to expect.”
Those taking part included Callum Davies (Welsh Conservatives), Anthony Slaughter (Wales Green Party), Peter Bradbury (Welsh Labour), Rodney Berman (Welsh Liberal Democrats), Zaynub Akbar (Plaid Cymru), Neil McEvoy (Propel) and Joseph Martin (Reform UK).
